1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a food product and a food product-packing unit which provides for protectively packing a product and preventing smearing of the product during removal of the product form its package.
2. Description of Related Art
A wide variety of products of the type specified above is known in the art. This is true particularly as regards the shell-type containment layer which, especially in mass-produced confectionery, is typically a half-shell or cup made of wafer or the like (see, for example, the document U.S. Pat. No. 4 430 351) or, for example, in small bakeries, is often a pastry container and which is filled with a quantity of filling: this applies to all small-bakery products commonly known as "cup-cakes".
Over the last few years there has been a growing trend in the food industry, especially in the field of confectionery, towards the manufacture of products which are very similar to traditional bakery products, both in their appearance and in the way they are presented to the consumer. At the same time, however, this trend must take into account the fact that, unlike traditional bakery products which are intended to be eaten soon after they are made, and usually locally, industrial products must be transported (sometimes far from the place of production) and/or must be kept and displayed in conditions which will not spoil their appearance and appeal to the consumer. One may consider, for example, to products which include a creamy decoration (such as a twirl of cream on top, such as chantilly cream or the like); in products of this type which are to be mass-produced and mass-marketed, any decoration smeared on the packaging will certainly prove off-putting. A tendency to smear the consumer's hands as he grasps the product is another negative phenomenon which producers endeavour to avoid. This is all the more important since, unlike traditional cakes (generally intended to be served and eaten at a table, for example to finish off a meal), mass-produced confectionery is often served and eaten in conditions (in bars and other social meeting places and in vehicles, for example) where consumers object strongly to getting their hands soiled.